Recreation Therapy

The Shelterwood Recreation Therapy team uses various activities and fine arts to meet some very unique needs on campus and give the students a VOICE. The team, led by Karalee White, is made up of artists and musicians who love to think outside the box in their efforts to give creative outlets to Shelterwood students.

Most recently, Karalee and Cindy Booth organized an art show for our parent weekends that featured all kinds of student work. Students created pieces such as paintings, painted wooden chairs, wire sculptures, sketches, drawings, greeting cards, jewelry, knitted pieces, and refurbished picture frames. The artwork was displayed outside in the Shelterwood garden and the gazebo where parents and staff could browse and purchase various pieces. The $1465 that was collected helped fund a variety of projects including the Shelterwood coffee house, the Trash to Treasure club, the November Haiti trip and to another local ministry that fights human trafficking. Visual arts has proven to be an invaluable outlet for some students, often leading to greater relationships and further progress in their personal lives.

Another activity that is picking up steam is the music club overseen by Gabe Desince. Gabe is now in his third year at Shelterwood and he works with the students four days a week. He explores topics such as music theory, expression, lyric analysis and symbolism in music. Students write their own music and perform at the quarterly coffee house and at chapel and other events. He is able to use his relationships and music/poetry to give the students a critical outlet and thereby help the therapy teams.

Other aspects of this department include pet therapy, rock climbing, weekend climbing trips, fishing, mountain biking, campfires on property, creative film making, and theatre activities such as choral work, musicals, monologues, one act plays, stand up and local and global service projects.

It is our hope that students can take these newly found skills home as part of their transition plan in order to continue to have a healthy outlet for expression.